Minus 15 wind chills: Dangerous cold to grip NE Ohio, setting stage for massive weekend storm threat
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Another frigid blast of Arctic air is expected to grip Northeast Ohio beginning Friday, bringing a renewed stretch of dangerous cold with subzero wind chills and little daytime relief expected into early next week.
Forecasters say the incoming cold will not only pose a direct safety risk but also help set the stage for this weekend’s big storm threat by locking frigid air in place across the region.
Prolonged cold with subzero wind chills overnight Friday
Temperatures are forecast to fall through the day Friday, dropping into the single digits by Friday night.Courtesy National Weather Service
According to the National Weather Service in Cleveland, subzero wind chills are expected to hit Friday as an Arctic air mass dives south from Canada. The coldest conditions are forecast for late Friday into Saturday.
Temperatures are expected to fall sharply Friday as a strong Arctic front moves through Northeast Ohio.
High temperatures Friday are forecast to reach only the lower teens, with gusty winds making it feel significantly colder. Overnight lows Friday night are expected to dip below zero, followed by another bitterly cold day Saturday with highs near 10 degrees.
By 1 a.m. Saturday morning, wind chill temperatures are predicted to be around minus 10 degrees. Forecasters say those values could dip as low as 15 below zero overnight Friday into Saturday.Courtesy National Weather Service
The most dangerous cold is expected from Friday through Saturday, when bitter wind chills and minimal daytime warming will combine to create hazardous conditions.
There is medium-high to high confidence that wind chills will drop below minus-15 degrees Friday into Saturday, cold enough to cause frostbite on exposed skin in a relatively short amount of time.
While temperatures will be dangerously cold, they are expected to remain above Cleveland’s record low of minus 19 degrees for Jan. 24, set in 1963.
Unlike a brief cold snap, forecasters say this outbreak is expected to linger, with temperatures remaining well below freezing both day and night into early next week.
Read more: Monster winter storm to blast much of US: How much will hit NE Ohio?
Cold arriving amid an already harsh January
The renewed Arctic blast follows a volatile January marked by sharp temperature swings and repeated intrusions of cold air.
So far this month, Cleveland has already recorded multiple days with average temperatures in the teens or lower, including a daily average of just 7 degrees earlier this week, based on data from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Forecasters say the incoming cold will reinforce that pattern rather than break it.
The duration and intensity of the cold increase the risk of frozen pipes, dangerous travel conditions and cold-related health issues, particularly for those without reliable heat or adequate shelter.
Prolonged subfreezing temperatures also can strain energy systems and slow recovery efforts in areas affected by snow or ice.
Setting the stage for weekend snow
A big-picture look at the winter storm setup this weekend. Northeast Ohio could see measurable snow late Saturday night into Sunday, according to forecasters.Courtesy AccuWeather
Forecasters say the Arctic air arriving late this week will play a key role in shaping a major winter storm expected to impact much of the eastern United States, including in Northeast Ohio.
With cold air firmly in place across the region, any snow that falls late Saturday into Sunday would accumulate efficiently and be slow to melt, increasing the likelihood of lingering travel issues into early next week.
Confidence is slowly increasing that parts of Northeast Ohio could see accumulating snow this weekend, particularly east of Interstate 71, though exact snowfall amounts remain uncertain and highly dependent on the storm’s final track.
Clarity on that track is expected to improve over the next few days as the storm system moves out of the Rockies and into the central United States.
